Absent Democrats derail floor vote on Pete Hegseth impeachment

Democrats in the US House of Representatives are reacting with anger after Republicans blocked an impeachment push against Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, aided by the absence of 11 Democratic lawmakers from the vote.

The eight-article impeachment resolution, drafted by Republican Representative Thomas Massie, reached the House floor on Tuesday evening and was rejected by a vote of 211 to 204.

Calculations indicate that had eight of the 11 absent Democrats been present on the floor, the impeachment process could have advanced to the next stage.

The outcome has intensified calls within the Democratic Party to tighten attendance discipline for floor votes.

The situation has also revived demands from Democratic lawmakers who advocate prioritizing Hegseth’s impeachment early next year, when they are set to take control of both chambers of Congress.

This pressure risks creating divisions with party leadership, which favours a more cautious, phased approach to executive oversight.

New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez emphasized that losing any vote due to absenteeism was entirely unacceptable: “This is completely unacceptable. We must bring this matter back up as soon as possible and ensure everyone shows up.”

Noting that they have an obligation to do their jobs and be present for votes, Ocasio-Cortez said, “This is what we are here for.”

Offering a similar assessment, California Representative Ro Khanna said, “We must make it clear that members absolutely have to show up for major votes.”

Khanna, who wants a vote on Hegseth’s impeachment held without delay once his party takes the House majority next year, said, “We should do this as quickly as we can.”

Asked whether hearings or an investigation would be required before bringing a resolution to the floor, Khanna replied, “No, we should move forward directly.”

This stance creates the potential for a clash with Democratic leaders, who oppose unprepared and hasty impeachment proceedings.

Although Democratic leaders supported this week’s resolution, they did not bring the measure to the floor themselves.

They state that once they secure the majority next year, they intend to conduct comprehensive inquiries into various officials in Donald Trump’s administration before taking any impeachment steps.

California Representative Pete Aguilar, who is expected to serve as House Majority Leader, stated that party leadership has no plans to revisit Hegseth’s impeachment next year.

Addressing the matter, Aguilar said, “When we are in the majority, we are committed to holding people accountable, and that will begin early on through oversight mechanisms. But there is no such item under discussion at this stage.”

Among the 11 Democrats who missed the vote, Melanie Stansbury and Jonathan Jackson reported that traffic congestion prevented them from reaching the House in time.

The office of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi stated that she was attending a Veterans Day event in San Francisco, but noted that she supported Hegseth’s impeachment and would have voted against referring the resolution to committee.

Nevada Representative Steven Horsford announced that a personal emergency caused him to arrive late to the floor, adding that he took full responsibility.

Michigan Representative Rashida Tlaib criticized the absent lawmakers, warning that voters who delivered Democrats a majority will expect more from the new Congress.

Acknowledging that an accident had caused travel difficulties around the Capitol, Tlaib said, “However, especially when we are in the majority, we have to stay focused on our work and turn out every single vote.”

Calling for Hegseth’s impeachment early next year, Tlaib said, “I believe allowing someone to act contrary to the country’s fundamental interests would set a dangerous precedent.”

Massachusetts Representative Jim McGovern also pointed out that all lawmakers must attend votes, remarking that everyone needs to be there regardless of whether their presence would alter the outcome.

Every Democrat who took part in Tuesday’s vote opposed referring Massie’s resolution to committee.

New York Representative Joe Morelle argued that Democrats clearly demonstrated their stance against the danger Hegseth poses to the American people, asserting that the secretary is unfit for office.

Morelle noted that the caucus would hold consultations in the coming weeks regarding the path forward.

Massie, the author of the resolution, contends that Hegseth abused his authority by conducting combat operations in Iran without congressional authorization, kidnapping the president of Venezuela from his country, and directing the extrajudicial execution of suspected drug traffickers in international waters.

The Republican lawmaker had launched a similar impeachment push against Hegseth in September, but House Republican leaders averted a vote on the resolution by cancelling votes and sending lawmakers home on an early recess.

In an interview with Politico, Massie said he does not plan to reintroduce the articles of impeachment to the floor.

Holding a press conference on Tuesday, Defence Secretary Hegseth described Massie’s effort as a “political stunt” and a “personal manifesto fuelled by ego and anger.”

In his defence, Hegseth said: “In the 250-year history of the American republic, no secretary of war or defence has ever been impeached for executing lawful military operations, which in our case were successful. War Powers Act or not, it has never happened once. History is abundantly clear. A disgruntled member of Congress wants to disregard that over policy disagreements. This is nothing more than a policy disagreement.”